Vehicle-top support.



F. KIEHLER.

VEHICLE TOP SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED lULY 8.1914.

Patented July 2, 1918; 1191;

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FREDERICK KIEHLER, or nnrnorr, MICHIGAN, assIen'on 'ro CADILLAC Moron can corrranr, or nnrnorr, MICHIGAN, a conronnrron or MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE-TOP SUPPORT.

harness.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented uly 23, 1213..

Application filed July 8, 1914. Serial No. 849,633.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK KIEHLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Vehicle-Top Support, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for supporting the bows of vehicle tops in folded position; and its object is to provide a support that may readily be secured to or detached from the holy at the vehicle.

This invention consists in the details of construction shown, described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe rear upper portion of an automobile equipped. with the improved top-support. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the upper edge of the tonneau or body showing the fixed supporting bracket and the detachable bow-clamp or support carried thereby. Fig. 3 is a section of the fixed supporting bracket on the line 33 of Fig. 4. Fig. 41 is a plan. view of the fixed supporting bracket. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the fixed supporting bracket in position on the edge of the tonneau or body.

Similar reference characters refer to like partsthroughout the several views.

in the embodiment shown, the body, which is of any desired design, comprises a shell 2, the rear portion of the upper edge of which is reinforced by the longitudinal strip 3 and the transverse strip l. The top 5 is mounted to swing vertically on the top-irons 6 in the usual manner.

Secured to the reinforcing strips 3 and 4-, preferably by means of the screws 7, is a bracket which in ordinary use remains in position upon the body. This bracket, as shown, comprises the longitudinally extending arms 9 and the upright arm 10, that engage, respectively, with the strips 3 and t, and the barrel 11. The latter may have upon its outer end the flange 12, and is provided With the cylindrical opening 13, the inner end of which may be closed by the wall 14. Mounted in the inner end of the opening 13 is a compression spring 15 that may be retained in any desired manner, preferably by passing one of its ends 16 through a perforation in the wall 1 1 and bending it over as indicated at 17.

lhe barrel 11 is formed with a longitudinal radial slot 19 which merges into a circumfe ential slot 20, the inner end ofwhich extends outwardly to form a pocket 21. The cylindrical opening and slot are adapted to receive the shaft 22 and projection 23 of a detachable bow-supporting member 24, the latter being secured to the fixed bracket by simply pushing the shaft and projection into the opening against the force of the spring 15, after which the shaft is given an angular movement to carry the projection entirely through the circumferential slot 20. Upon releasing the detachable supporting member, the spring 15 thrusts it outwardly until the projection is received in the pocket 21, whereby the shaft prevented from rattling in the socket and from becoming accidentally detached. 1

In the embodiment shown, the detachable bow-supporting member constitutes a base 2 1 for a clan1p-jaw 25 and. a link 26, that are pivoted to the member 2 1 at 27 and 28, re spectively, and a locking lever 29 comprising an arm 30 that is adapted to engage closely with the outer face of the clamp-j aw 25 when in locking position. The locking lever also comprises an arm 31, that constitutes a fulcrum and is received in a seat 32 formed on the jaw 25, and a seat 33 for a laterally turned end 3-l of the link 26. It will be understood that the clamping jaw 25 is swung otu'wardly and the link 26 upwardly to allow the bows of the top to enter, after which the end 31 of the locking lever is inserted in the seat 32. The end 30 is then swung inwardly, which causes the seat 33 to swing outwardly and tension the link 26. As soon as the seat 33 passes below a line connecting the pivot 28 with the seat 32, the tension of the link causes the end 30 to swing inwardly into snug engagement with the side of the clamping jaw and holds the clamp locked.

It will be understood that the member 2 1 may be detached from the bracket when the top is elevated, thereby avoiding the unsightly appearance of the supports ordinarily used, as well as preventing tearing and soiling of clothing that comes in Contact therewith, and also when the top is removed from the vehicle; it will be further observed that the supporting member 24 is incapable of being'removed from the body when the top is in collapsed position, in other words, it may be said to be locked to the body when the ltd.

top is lowered. The last named feature is of particular importance since it prevents the supporting member from becoming loosened by vibration and dropping out of the socket and thus precludes any possibility ofthe top falling or twisting, and for the further reason that it enables the use of a connection between the body and supporting member of such nature as to allow ready removal of the latter without the use of tools on all occasions when it should be removed.

It is clear that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of my invention.

- I do not, therefore, wish to be limited otherwise than as indicated by the subjoined claims.

I claim 1. vIn combination with the body of a vehicle and a top mounted to swing in respect thereto from a raised to a collapsed position, two members, one a bracket secured to the body and the other a support for the bows of the top when in collapsed position, a projection on one of the members co-acting with a slot in the other for securing the members together upon relative angular movement of one of the members in respect to the other, and resilient means tending to separatev the members when they are secured together, and means for preventing reverse angular movement of the angularly movable member.

2. In combination with the body of a, vehicle and a top mounted to swing in respect thereto from a raised to a collapsed position, two members, one a bracket secured to the body and the other a support for the bows of the top when in collapsed position, a proection on one of the members co-acting with a slot in the other for securing the members together upon relative angular movement of one of the members in respect to the other, resilient means tending to separate the members when they are secured together, and means for preventing reverse angular movement of the angularly movable member, except by a force of such character as to overcome the tension of the resilient means.

3. In combination With a sheet metal automobile body having a longitudinal reinforcing strip along its upper side edge, a bracket attached thereto, said bracket having an arm that extends longitudinally along said reinforcing strip and is secured thereto, a top mounted to swing in respect to the body from a raised to a collapsed position, a support for the bows of the top when in collapsed position, said bracket and said support constituting two members, one of the members having a slot therein and the other member having a projection received in the slot for securing the members together upon relative angular movement of the support in respect to the bracket, and resilient means tending to separate the members when they are secured together.

I11 testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK KIEHLER.

Witnesses:

FRED J. CALDWELL, DANIEL I. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0.

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